TheCable

A picture showing Umar Bago, governor of Niger state, kneeling to greet President Bola Tinubu at the presidential villa, has appeared on social media.

Bago visited Tinubu at the presidential villa on Thursday.

TheCable understands that Bago was at the State House ahead of the planned visit of the president to Niger state.

In a post published on X, Abdullbergy Usman Ebbo, special adviser on digital communications to Bago, said Tinubu will be welcomed to Niger on Monday.

Ebbo said the president will launch machinery for large-scale agro-value chain development in the state.

He added that Niger is the “pilot state for the Renewed Hope Agenda on Food Security and Agricultural Mechanization in this administration”.

Niger State will, on Monday, March 11, 2024, welcome the Father of the Nation, His Excellency President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (GCFR), to Minna Airport City Special Agro-Processing Free Zone (the first in Nigeria).

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Niger is the Pilot state for the Renewed Hope Agenda on Food… https://t.co/Ldho0wjPJ4 pic.twitter.com/ZXd3SWL4PQ

— Abdullberqy Usman Ebbo (@Nupenchi_) March 7, 2024

“As Mr. President prepares to launch the state-of-the-art machinery and cutting-edge technologies for large-scale agro-value chain development in Niger State, Governor Umaru Bago and the people of Niger State are preparing to show their unanimous love and support,” the media aide wrote.

‘NIGERIA HAS NO REASON TO BE POOR’

Speaking at the Leadership annual conference and award 2023 on Tuesday, Bago said it was shameful that war-torn Ukraine was sending grains to Nigeria.

The Niger governor agreed with Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the last election, who was present at the event, that the country must be productive.

“My boss (referring to Peter Obi), you are very right on what you have said. We have no reason to be poor,” he said.

“People may not like you but they must hear you. What you say is the gospel truth. Nigeria needs to be productive.

“You can’t be out of poverty unless you start to produce. I’m not an advocate of handouts and palliative. It is high time we tell ourselves the basic truth we need to feed ourselves.”

Last week, Ukraine reportedly donated 25,000 tonnes of wheat as emergency food assistance to 1.3 million vulnerable, crisis-affected people in north-east Nigeria.